A suspect in Tennessee died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound while on the run after a series of shootings that killed four people and seriously injured a fifth, police said.

Officers found the body of Mavis Christian Jr, 52, in his car during a manhunt following the shootings at three locations in Memphis that left three women and a teenage girl dead and another teenage girl critically wounded, the Memphis Police Department said.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic and senseless shootings on Saturday … resulting in the deaths of four innocent family members and a fifth victim critically injured,” the statement posted on social media said. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their loved ones as our community grieves more lives taken by domestic violence.”

Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said that “incidents like these shake us all to our core”.

Memphis Police Department officers responded to a report of a shooting at 9.22pm on the 100 Block of Howard Drive. Police found a woman with an apparent gunshot wound who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators determined there were two other connected fatal shootings. At Field Lark Drive, a woman and a 13-year-old girl were killed and a 15-year-old girl was critically wounded.

Another woman was found shot dead on Warrington Road, Memphis Police Officer Christopher Williams said.

Police believed Christian was responsible for the shootings and began a search involving local, state and federal law enforcement agencies until the suspect’s body was found.